By the time I leave Spokane, it will be almost three weeks that I’ve been snowbound here. During this period I’ve visited with dear friends, gotten a root canal, had my RV serviced and my little girl Annie had surgery to remove a growth between the toes on her left paw.

I while away my time by doing very little that I should be doing and spend the rest of my time fretting about being delayed getting back to warm weather in Yuma.

Being winter, I pay attention to 10-day weather forecasts so I can plan my travel to avoid having to drive my RV on snow or ice. In the process I’ve developed a little planner that helps me track day-to-day temperatures and snowfall by date and by cities along my intended route.

This helps me plan when to “Depart”, “Pass through” and “Arrive” at various cities and towns along my 1,487-mile route from Spokane to Yuma, Arizona.

Based on this latest version of the chart, I plan to leave Spokane, Washington on Thursday, February 28th and drive to Pendleton, Oregon on Day 1 of my trip. That night or early the next day I will do another weather check to see if I want to proceed on to La Grande, Oregon, or, layover a day or two to make sure I-84 is clear and dry going through the Blue Mountains.

The area I want to monitor closely is the section of I-84 from Pendleton to La Grande that crosses the Blue Mountains. The Oregon Department of Transportation designates the area from Mile Post 216 to Mile Post 264 as a “Snow Zone”. As such, the “Minimum Chain Restriction” is to carry chains or traction tires regardless of conditions. I don’t chain my RV tires. The two points of greatest concerns are the Cabbage Hill/Deadman Pass, elevation of 3,615 feet, and the Summit Blue Mountains Pass at an elevation of 4,193.

Once through La Grande, Oregon, I expect I-84 will be mostly dry and clear all the way to Boise, Idaho and on to Twin Falls, Idaho.

I plan to stay at an RV park in Twin Falls the night of Friday, March 1 and then continue on south via US 93 the next morning. The route then will pass through the towns of Wells, Ely, Pioche, and Alamo, Nevada. I’ll spend the night in Alamo and then the next day drive to Lake Havasu City for the night. The next morning I’ll continue on to Yuma, Arizona.

It has been said by some that “Jack tends to over plan.” Perhaps so, but doing so satisfies my inner nerd. Weather notes in red indicate snow such as “1-3 in S”. I don’t want to travel on any snow days.